A portion of the disclosure of this patent document and of the related applications listed above contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.
The present invention relates to a self sealing cap, useful particularly for bottles with confectionery products.
The present invention is of a self sealing cap for covering and providing an opening to an object, the cap comprising: an object comprising an object opening therein; a cap assembly disposed on the object, the cap assembly comprising an aperture and a spring; the cap assembly and the object having a resting position wherein the object opening is closed; the cap assembly and the object having an open position when the object opening is opened through the cap assembly aperture; the cap assembly rotatable by a user exerting force on the cap assembly from the resting position about the object to align the object opening with the cap assembly aperture in the open position to allow material from the object to pass through both the object opening and the cap assembly aperture; and the spring providing automatic counter rotation of the cap assembly back to the original position to thereby close the object opening after the user removes force from the cap assembly. In the preferred embodiment, the object comprises a bottle and the object opening is the top of the object. The object opening may be to a side of a longitudinal axis of the object. The cap assembly may be integral with the object. The object opening is preferably circular, as is the cap assembly aperture. The cap assembly may be attached to the object. The cap assembly preferably further comprises a thumb wedge, wherein one end of the spring is disposed in the thumb wedge. The cap assembly may further comprise knurls, a central post around which the spring is disposed, and at least one rim upon which the spring is stopped in rotation. The cap assembly is preferably rotatable about a central axis of the cap, with the central axis of the cap being coaxial with a central longitudinal axis of the object. The spring is preferably housed in a recess in the cap assembly. A seal may be disposed between the object and the cap assembly, wherein the seal comprises an o-ring about the object opening.
The invention is also of a self sealing cap for covering and providing an opening to an object, the cap comprising: an object comprising an object opening therein; a cap assembly disposed on the object, the cap assembly comprising: a central axis; an aperture to a side of the central axis; a spring; a thumb wedge comprising one end of the spring disposed therein; at least one stop upon which rotation of the cap assembly is stopped; the cap assembly and the object having a resting position wherein the object opening is closed; the cap assembly and the object having an open position when the object opening is opened through the cap assembly aperture; the cap assembly rotatable about the central axis by a user exerting force on the thumb wedge from the resting position about the object to the stop to align the object opening with the cap assembly aperture in the open position to allow material from the object to pass through both the object opening and the cap assembly aperture; and the spring providing automatic counter rotation of the cap assembly back to another stop and the original position to thereby close the object opening after the user removes force from the thumb wedge. In the preferred embodiment, the object comprises a bottle and the object opening is a top of the object. The object opening may be to a side of a longitudinal axis of the object. The object opening is preferably circular, as is the cap assembly aperture. The cap assembly preferably further comprises a central post around which the spring is disposed.
The present invention is still further of a self-closing cap assembly for an opening in a container comprising: a cap assembly carried by the container including a rotatable cap having an aperture and a torsional spring; the cap assembly having a resting position wherein the container opening is closed and a dispensing position wherein the container opening is open; the cap movable by a user exerting force against the spring so as to move the cap from a resting position to an open position; and the spring rotating the cap back to the closed position when the user applies force less than a spring force. In the preferred embodiment, the cap additionally includes a thumb wing attached to one peripheral end of the cap for receiving rotational force from a user.
The present invention is also a self sealing cap for covering and providing an opening to an object. The cap comprises an object which has an object opening. The cap assembly is disposed on the object and comprises an aperture and a spring and a post. The cap assembly and the object have a resting position wherein the object opening is closed; and the cap assembly and the object have an open position when the object opening is opened through the cap assembly aperture. The cap assembly is rotatable by a user by exerting force on the cap assembly and the spring and post, providing rotation from the resting position about the object to align the object opening with the cap assembly aperture in the open position to allow material from the object to pass through both the object opening and the cap assembly aperture. The spring and post provide automatic counter rotation of the cap assembly back to the original position to thereby close the object opening after the user removes force from the cap assembly.
The object may comprise a bottle. The cap assembly may be integral with the object or may be attached to the object. The cap assembly may additionally comprise a thumb wedge and may comprise a central post around which the spring is disposed.
The cap assembly may be rotatable about a central axis of the cap. Such a central axis may be coaxial with a central longitudinal axis of the object. The spring may be housed in a recess in the cap assembly and may comprise a fixed end and a rotatable end. It may additionally have at least one stop for the fixed end of the spring. Preferably, it will have two stops, wherein the fixed end of the spring is disposed therebetween. The fixed end of the spring may be straight. The cap assembly may comprise at least one stop for the rotatable end of the spring. The cap may comprise two stops, an open position stop and a closed position stop, where the rotatable end of the spring is rotatable therebetween. The rotatable end of the spring may be engageable for rotation and counter-rotation by a post extending from the underside of the cap.
The present invention may comprise a self sealing cap for covering and providing an opening to an object comprising an object with an object opening and a cap assembly disposed on the object, wherein the cap assembly comprises a central axis; an aperture to a side of the central axis; a spring; a post engageable with the spring; a thumb wedge; at least one stop upon which rotation of the cap assembly is stopped; the cap assembly and the object having a resting position wherein the object opening is closed; the cap assembly and the object having an open position when the object opening is opened through the cap assembly aperture; the cap assembly rotatable about the central axis by a user exerting force on the thumb wedge and the spring and post providing rotation from the resting position about the object to the stop to align the object opening with the cap assembly aperture in the open position to allow material from the object to pass through both the object opening and the cap assembly aperture; and the spring and post providing automatic counter rotation of the cap assembly back to another stop and the original position to thereby close the object opening after the user removes force from the thumb wedge.
The present invention is also a self-closing cap assembly for an opening in a container comprising a cap assembly carried by the container including a rotatable cap having an aperture, a torsional spring and an engaging post; wherein the cap assembly has a resting position when the container opening is closed, and a dispensing position when container opening is open; wherein the cap is movable by a user by exerting force against the spring and post so as to move the cap from a resting position to an open position; and wherein the spring and post rotate the cap back to the closed position when the user applies force less than a spring force.
The present invention includes a method of use of a cap assembly comprising providing a cap assembly disposed on an object having a rotatable cap with an aperture and a torsional spring disposed on a cap base on the object, wherein the cap base comprises a recessed area having stops and an aperture; providing the cap assembly in a resting position wherein the container aperture is in a closed position, unaligned with the cap aperture; rotating the cap laterally by exerting force, wherein the force is applied against a thumb wedge and/or cap knurls; transferring the force applied to the cap to the spring by displacing a rotatable end of the spring; aligning the cap aperture with the container aperture thereby providing an open position; inverting the container; allowing flowable materials to flow through both apertures by the force of gravity; righting the container; removing the force applied to cap and thereby removing force to the spring; and rotating the cap automatically back to its closed, resting position when the spring returns to its disengaged state. The method may additionally comprise the steps of providing an engaging post disposed on a lower surface of the rotatable cap wherein said post is positioned to engage the rotatable end of said spring and rotating the engaging post to engage the spring, thereby transferring the force to the spring.
The object of the present invention is to provide a self sealing cap/lid for a container or other object.
Other objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description to follow; taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.